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OMCTO

Up to the this point, I have really enjoyed Infinity and Hickman's work on the Avengers as a whole. And for the most part, I liked this issue. I thought the presentation of the lone Builder arrogantly placing his faith in the computations of Supremor while remaining matter-of-fact about the whole thing really made a statement about the threat of the Builders in a way that all of the world-killing and Hickman-ese hadn't really done. I also really like that there now seems to be a new sub-plot revolving around the Gardeners and Ex Nihilo rebelling against their makers and the sudden importance of Abyss' very existence.

But then you get to the last panel. Captain America reveals that his plan is to surrender. Now I know - I know - that Cap is not really going to surrender. I know that there is another plan, another hail mary like what we saw in Infinity #3. But just that panel... ugh. It just set my teeth on edge, in large part because it seems so alien to Cap's personality and credo.

After thinking about it some, I think what really got me is that it is artificial. It is meant to build drama. "Oh no! Captain America is surrendering! It truly is the end of the world!" Now, as I said, I know that Cap is really surrendering. And I would venture to say that most readers know that. And I would venture a little farther to say that Hickman knows that most readers know that. So that leaves, it seems to me, an unnatural sense of drama. And an unnecessary one at that. Hickman could have gotten the same experience if he had literally ended the book one panel earlier.

On the whole, it was a descent outing, but man, that last panel really threw a wrench into my enjoyment of this issue.

Up to the this point, I have really enjoyed Infinity and Hickman's work on the Avengers as a whole. And for the most part, I liked this issue. I thought the presentation of the lone Builder arrogantly placing his faith in the computations of Supremor while remaining matter-of-fact about the whole thing really made a statement about the threat of the Builders in a way that all of the world-killing and Hickman-ese hadn't really done. I also really like that there now seems to be a new sub-plot revolving around the Gardeners and Ex Nihilo rebelling against their makers and the sudden importance of Abyss' very existence.

But then you get to the last panel. Captain America reveals that his plan is to surrender. Now I know - I know - that Cap is not really going to surrender. I know that there is another plan, another hail mary like what we saw in Infinity #3. But just that panel... ugh. It just set my teeth on edge, in large part because it seems so alien to Cap's personality and credo.

After thinking about it some, I think what really got me is that it is artificial. It is meant to build drama. "Oh no! Captain America is surrendering! It truly is the end of the world!" Now, as I said, I know that Cap is really surrendering. And I would venture to say that most readers know that. And I would venture a little farther to say that Hickman knows that most readers know that. So that leaves, it seems to me, an unnatural sense of drama. And an unnecessary one at that. Hickman could have gotten the same experience if he had literally ended the book one panel earlier.

On the whole, it was a descent outing, but man, that last panel really threw a wrench into my enjoyment of this issue.

Staff Writer

Infinity continues to rock and roll, and even though I’ve come out and said I prefer the Thanos side of the story more, the Builders storyline is picking up for me, and this was an excellent issue.

We begin with a rehash of the events of Infinity #3, where the captured Avengers were rescued from the Worldbreaker ship, but Hickman does drop a little new info on us. When that female Ex Nihilo randomly appeared then ran away, she wasn’t just silent, she actually psychically spoke to Abyss, telling her and our Ex Nihilo to follow her. Abyss and Ex Nihilo travel to an Ice-Planet, where they come across a whole bunch of other Exes. Rather than fight as I expected, they actually talk, and we start to get some information about just what’s going on with The Builders. For some reason (It has something to do with the New Universal superstructure) many years ago, The Builders stopped making Abyssi and Ex Nihilos at the same time, and stopped making them able to seed life in worlds. We don’t know why things changed, but it looks like answers are imminent (or as imminent as they can get in a Jonathan Hickman book) and more importantly, our Ex Nihilo seems to have turned the rest of his kind to his side, and against The Builders. The tide of this war really is turning! Of course, it’s turning just as the Avengers are about to surrender.

After discussing their next plan of action amongst themselves, Captain America suggests that rather than continue to attack (and I loved the scene between that one Builder and Ronan The Accuser, about how statistically, victory for the Avengers and their allies was impossible), they surrender. Now, does Cap actually mean it? Or is it another, more complex plan? I have no idea, but I am pumped to find out.

It’s getting kind of boring to be repeating this same praise over again, but damn, this whole crossover is just fucking excellent, the art from Yu is excellent, the scale of the story is huge, and that’s just half of it! Man, Hickman is showing us how it’s done, and I really do feel that his style suits Event comics more than most writers, even when he’s just doing normal issues, it’s not normal, and the ideas are so big. Here, he’s on another level.

Staff Writer

Infinity continues to rock and roll, and even though I’ve come out and said I prefer the Thanos side of the story more, the Builders storyline is picking up for me, and this was an excellent issue.

We begin with a rehash of the events of Infinity #3, where the captured Avengers were rescued from the Worldbreaker ship, but Hickman does drop a little new info on us. When that female Ex Nihilo randomly appeared then ran away, she wasn’t just silent, she actually psychically spoke to Abyss, telling her and our Ex Nihilo to follow her. Abyss and Ex Nihilo travel to an Ice-Planet, where they come across a whole bunch of other Exes. Rather than fight as I expected, they actually talk, and we start to get some information about just what’s going on with The Builders. For some reason (It has something to do with the New Universal superstructure) many years ago, The Builders stopped making Abyssi and Ex Nihilos at the same time, and stopped making them able to seed life in worlds. We don’t know why things changed, but it looks like answers are imminent (or as imminent as they can get in a Jonathan Hickman book) and more importantly, our Ex Nihilo seems to have turned the rest of his kind to his side, and against The Builders. The tide of this war really is turning! Of course, it’s turning just as the Avengers are about to surrender.

After discussing their next plan of action amongst themselves, Captain America suggests that rather than continue to attack (and I loved the scene between that one Builder and Ronan The Accuser, about how statistically, victory for the Avengers and their allies was impossible), they surrender. Now, does Cap actually mean it? Or is it another, more complex plan? I have no idea, but I am pumped to find out.

It’s getting kind of boring to be repeating this same praise over again, but damn, this whole crossover is just fucking excellent, the art from Yu is excellent, the scale of the story is huge, and that’s just half of it! Man, Hickman is showing us how it’s done, and I really do feel that his style suits Event comics more than most writers, even when he’s just doing normal issues, it’s not normal, and the ideas are so big. Here, he’s on another level.

It means a symbolic cover revealing little or nothing of the plot inside.

"I have my heroes, but no one knows their names"- Sons of the Desert

Strict31 wrote:I'm not sure that combining the nigh-uncontrollable power of LOLtron with the Nacireman is a good idea. Some years from now, when mankind is on the verge of extinction, we'll be able to look back and remember this moment, and say, "DANG."

Strict31 wrote:I'm not sure that combining the nigh-uncontrollable power of LOLtron with the Nacireman is a good idea. Some years from now, when mankind is on the verge of extinction, we'll be able to look back and remember this moment, and say, "DANG."

Still looks like a symbolic cover. Could be used for any Thor story anywhere.

Will be interesting to see why exactly he's tossing his hammer, though. Doesn't quite look like he's in a position of strength (at least on the surface) in the preview.

"I have my heroes, but no one knows their names"- Sons of the Desert

Strict31 wrote:I'm not sure that combining the nigh-uncontrollable power of LOLtron with the Nacireman is a good idea. Some years from now, when mankind is on the verge of extinction, we'll be able to look back and remember this moment, and say, "DANG."